In the waning days of 2019, a life was tragically cut short in West Nashville. Montae Gray, a 22-year-old Black man, was fatally shot on December 30, 2019. The incident unfolded just before noon outside the Skyview Apartments on Susannah Court, a place he was known to frequent. When police arrived, they discovered Gray on the sidewalk, critically injured with a gunshot wound to his torso.
He was rushed to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, but tragically, he was pronounced dead shortly after his arrival.
Investigators with the Metro Nashville Police Department quickly began pursuing leads, with robbery being the suspected motive behind the violent act that took a young man's life. Their investigation led them to identify two suspects in connection with Montae Gray's murder. Monolito Murphy, who was 19 at the time, was identified as one of the individuals involved. Murphy was already in custody, having been arrested on January 31, 2020, on unrelated charges of aggravated robbery, felony heroin possession, and illegal gun possession.
The second suspect identified by law enforcement was Jaylon Woodson, then 25 years old. In connection with Gray's death, Woodson was indicted on a charge of first-degree murder. Following the indictment, authorities announced that while Murphy was incarcerated, Woodson remained at large. The police sought help from the public, asking anyone with information on Woodson's whereabouts to contact Crime Stoppers.
